In response to recent flash floods and incessant monsoon rain in the Chittagong region, BRAC University has dispatched a volunteer team to Matiranga, Khagrachhari, to undertake relief and rehabilitation efforts for flood-affected communities in the hilly district.
Led by a senior lecturer, the team consists of students from the Department of Disaster Management and Environmental Studies (DMES) under its club, the Disaster Management and Climate Forum (DMCF), according to a press release issued on Sunday.
Matiranga, located in the Khagrachhari district, was severely impacted by heavy monsoon rains, resulting in more than 150 indigenous and local Bengali families losing their homes and livelihoods.
The volunteer team arrived in Guimara on Friday morning and subsequently visited Haridhan Mog para, Tapta Master Para, Kacha Kola, Ramdayal Para, Shapmara, and Wachu Para within Matiranga upazila to assess the damage and identify the specific relief needs of the affected populations.
On Saturday, relief packages were transported by truck to three distribution centres- Haridhan Mog Para, Shapmara Government Primary School, and Washu Para.
The team distributed a total of 900kg of rice, 300 leaves of paracetamol, 900 packets of saline, 150 litres of edible oil, 300kg of onions, 75kg of salt, Chira (flattened rice), biscuits, personal hygiene materials, and clothes among the distressed communities.
Each individual care package comprised 5kg of rice, 1kg of pulse, a 250g packet of Chira, two leaves of paracetamol tablets, six packets of oral saline, one litre of soybean oil, 2kg of onion, and a 500g packet of salt.
Furthermore, the BRAC volunteer team provided corrugated iron-sheets and construction materials to those who lost their dwellings in the disaster. The volunteers also assisted these families in the physical reconstruction of their houses.
